FOGS Under 20s Cup

O'Donnell Gets 11 Weeks

Wests Tigers forward Luke O'Donnell has been handed an eleven match suspension by the NRL judiciary this evening for his sickening elbow on Raiders utility Michael Monaghan.

The sentence was harsh but fair considering O'Donnell's actions have caused Michael Monaghan to miss twelve weeks of football and O'Donnell can count himself lucky he didn't go for longer.

With Monaghan set to miss a good part of the season while recovering from two operations to mend his broken jaw O'Donnell should be made to miss the same amount of time plus six weeks for intent. His actions were deliberate and it would send a clear message to other players that taking out a player in such a manner will never be tolerated.

Les Boyd was suspended for almost a whole season after his sickening shot on Daryl Brohman many years ago which left Brohman spitting teeth just like Monaghan.

Why should O'Donnell be any different? The severity of the injury should not be a determining factor when sentencing a player. The action of O'Donnell, whether he struck Monaghan or not, whoudl be what he is sentenced on.